Car-coupling.



T. H. LEWIS.

CAR COUPLING.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. I91]. '1 ,241, l 3 1 Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. H. LEWIS.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. I91].

1,241,131 u PatentedSept. 25, 1917.

2 $HEET$-SHEET Z- U v I. f /y z 5 l zfi i 3 1 THOMAS H.- LEWIS, 0F

PANA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-TENTHS T0 5. J.

PIERPONT, OF- PANA, ILLINOIS.

oAR-ooUrLmG- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed- March 29, 1917. Serial No. 158,281.

To all whom it'mayconcern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pana, in the county of Christian, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates 'to an improved car coupler, and means for operating the same, and an object-of the invention is to provide means whereby the coupler may. be operated fnom t is side or,the top of the car.

Another object of the 'inventionisto 'proyicle a pivoted knuckle member to be en gaged by a corresponding member of the coupling element of an adjacent car, in com- .bination with a spring tensioned sliding dog to hold the knuckle member in place, that is, when bothfmembers ofa pair of couplers are engagement. In practical fields, the details of construction may necessitate alterations falling with;

in the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, and claimed.-

' In the drawings Figure 1 is an end elevation of' a car, showing one of the couplers, and the means for operating the sliding dog, whereby the pivoted knuckle may be released.

Fig. 2 is aview in side elevation of two adjacent cars, showing the couplers con nected, and the means for operating the sliding dog to release the pivoted knuckle.

. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the lower end of a vertically disposed pivoted 'membe'r, and the inner end of a horizontally disposed pivoted member, for-actuating the lever, (shown in dotted lines), which operates the sliding dog.

Fig; 1 is a plan view of the couplers, showing them separated. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of said couplers, showing them connected.

Fig. 6 is a view of one coupler, showing parts in section and parts in elevation, in

illustrating the lever for actuating the dog.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig.6, showing the dog as having been actuated.

Referring more especially to the drawand 4; denote the coupling bars carried by the cars, and having the couplers 6. Each vided with a bifurcation 12, in which a knuckle is provided on a pin 1 When it is desired to couple the cars, the knuckles of both couplers are disposed, as shown in Fig. 4. each other, in which case, the inner edge of the arm 9 of each'c'oupler head will cooperate with the outercurved edge of the curved portion 15 of the opposite knuckle, guiding said portion 15 toward and into the recess 11. .As the curved port-ion 15 enters the recess 11, substantially the extremity of the curved portion 15 will so cotiperate with the tail-of the opposite knuckle, as to actuate a sliding dog 17 sufficiently so'that the nose of the dog will assume a position'in the path of'the tail of the knuckle, that is, after the tail has cammed over the nose of the dog. In thisway the curved portion 15 of both knuckles are thrown into coiiperation, as seen in Fig. 5, thereby coupling the cars. The coupling hard is provided with a bar 16, rectangular in cross section, to receive the slidingdog- 17, and formedvertically in the bar 4 near the head of the coupler and across the bore, is a slot or opening 18. Pivoted upon a pin 19 ofthe' lower parts of the walls ofsaid slot or opening 18 is the lower end of the lever 20, which passes through an opening 21 in the sliding dog.

lhe cars are then moved toward I This opening 521 is of less length than the slot 18, as is shown clearly in Fig. .7.- Arranged in the bore 16 between its end 22 and one end of the sliding dog, is a coil spring 23, to hold the nose 2% of the dog beyond the crotch of the rebess 11, whereby said nose will assume a position in a. path of the end 25 of the tail 26 of the pivoted knuckle, thereb holding the curved part 15 of one knuck e in engagement with a corresponding curved part of the coiiperating knuckle, so as to hold the two couplers connected. A bracket 2? is secured upon. the end of each car, and pivoted upon the bracket by means of a pivot bolt 29, is a member 30. The

55. ings,'1 and 2 designate adjacent cars, and 3 signed to receive andengage the pivoted lever 20, so that when the pivoted member 3.0 is moved in the direction of the arrow 6, the forked end 41 will bear against and tilt the lever 20, thereby sliding the -dog 17 against the action of its spring, so that its nose will move from the path of the extremity of the tail 26 of the pivoted knuckle 13.

Therefore, just so soon as the pivoted knuckle is so released, and one or the other of said cars is moved, from its adjacent car, the couplers will uncouple. In other words, one or the other of the knuckles may be released by sliding its dog from the path of its tail, or both dogs may be moved so as to release both knuckles simultaneously, which will permit the uncoupling of the cars. Mounted upon the ends of the car 1 near the lower part thereof, is a bracket 42, similar to the bracket 27, and pivoted upon the bolt 43 of the bracket 42, is a pivoted member 44,

having the forked. end 45, to engage and.

operate the lever 20, in order to actuate'the sliding dog from the side portion of the car. The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful, is

In a car coupler, a pair of draw bars having adjacent coupler heads, a pair of knuckles pivoted diagonally in said coupler heads and adapted to interlock, said draw bars having bores or hollows rectangularin cross section extending 'back from the heads, a'

anda' straight lever having its lower en pivoted in the lower slot of the draw bar and projecting through theslot-of the bolt and the upper slot of the draw bar, and

extending upwardly beyond the plane of the upper surface of the couplerhead, whereby it may. be engaged and oscillated by an oscillated lever, thereby causing the pivoted lever to ride against said rounded or curved bearing surface.

In testimony whereof I have'signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS H. LEWIS. Witnesses K. L; HYBARGER, C. H. Moons.

copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

